can you get strong at uni living on campus?

[James Fernandes]

hi, thanks for the sweating advice, now that ive moved to university 2 weeks ago, ive got other the drinking stage, and want to settle into a routine, where I train, eat, study, sleep and thats about it

I live on campus and 2 hours from home, so I motly make the food myself which ive just about been doing fine, anyone here had to train and eat while at uni, how did you find it?

Did you find it hard when theres no parents to help you with cooking, and you have to be stingy with your money when buying food etc,

any advice?

[Scott Markowitz]

Be selective about what you buy. Focus on buying what you *need* instead of what you *want*. It can be done. I'm doing it with a wife and child.

[Micah B.]

What really helped me was making a list of the foods that I needed, and buying ONLY things that were on the list (make the list when you're not hungry). Sundays I would spend a long time in the kitchen preparing all the food I for the week, so that when I was hungry, I had good choice readily available.

[rogersmith]

Don't know about your campus, but the local one has all you can eat at the dorms for a little less than $7. There is no time limit, and the food is as good as I've had. When I'm bulking, it is choice #1. For bulking, it's a FAR better than any other place I've found...

[Alex Klotz]

It is definately possible to get bigger and stronger at university. University gyms are some of the best ones around for heavy lifting, and if you have an all you can eat cafeteria you can gain as much weight as you want.

[Kevin McNease]

Yes.

Kevin

[Matt Brouse]

Yes.

Kevin

Agreed.

Matt

[Keenan Hollingsworth]

I started college this year, working on getting stronger haha. When I buy groceries I go for ground beef, chicken, sweet potatoes, and wholewheat bread mainly. Then I mix up other stuff I get (fruits/veges, maybe some shitty steaks, turkey legs, assorted condiments, etc).

[NickBrugal]

Man there really isn't a better situation to be in. I got alot stronger in college. I only had around $1000 in the bank for the whole year: gas, food, supps, etc.. But since I was on an athletic scholership I got Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner all I could eat for free at the cafateria and I worked out in the school weight room. The food sucked and was very fatty but I ate till I was sick and did alot of cardio at wrestling to keep the fat down. I bought a forman grill and cooked in my room, it stunk the dorm up like a beast but you gotta do what it takes. It can be done, the key is you have to plan your meals ahead and know its not going to be easy but nothing worth having is.

[James Fernandes]

thanks keenan and nickbrugal you ahve given me good adive there, thing is I have to cook all the food myself, I didnt order accomodation with food because in the UK, i dont think its all you can eat, so i thought theyd give baby food amounts so i thought id make my own food.

umm yer Ive got 1000 pounds ats least spare for the year for food, but ive been getin skinnier, in the last 2 weeks since starting uni, my strengths gone a bit down, but ive been ill with freshers flu, so i need to recover and havent been sleeping well cause i was ill


guys, at uni, did you go out loads and stay up late, or were you the early sleepers, munching loads, and staying dedicated?

James

[Steve Krivoshik]

This is my first year on campus here too. Where I'm going all freshman have an unlimited meal plan, as much as I want whenever I want it. I'm thinking next year though when I have a car and access to a grocery store (school is in the cuts) I might go off the meal plan and cook my own food.

In that case my plan would be to buy in bulk from a Costco/Sam's Club/BJ's type place and try to eat leaner higher quality foods. The hardest thing for me here is getting quality carbs. All refined crap here. The salad bar is good and there is always fish/chicken along with beef but the carb intake is tricky because I would prefer whole grains. I'm thinking I may just makeup some whole grain rice/pasta in the community kitchen and reheat in my micro........tasty :LOL:

[JEFF VANCO]

Why couldn't you?

Stuff your face at the cafeteria. If you're cafe is a buffet type - go an hour before it closes, sit at the back, bring a bag and take as much food as you can. That's what I did - I never had to buy fruit, bread, or milk for home.

Keep protein powder, skim milk powder, and canned fish in your room.

Making major gains at school is a breeze.

[Steve Krivoshik]

Heheh yeah the sneaking food and utensils out is something every hungry college student masters.

The partying thing is a good point too though. I'm not really a big partier, right now I just wanna get BIG so I'm lifting 6 days a week and trying to get 8-10 hours of sleep a night. I usually go to bed by 10 or 11 except the Yankees were on tonight. But even if you wanna go out and get sloshed just limit it to one night a week and have your off day be the following morning. This is where your priorities determine the gains you will see.


Just my.02

[Nikhil Rao]

James, it's going to be TOUGH for you since you're in the UK (i'm assuming since you said 'uni'). Food is a huge problem. Protein is expensive. I recommend Tesco and Sainsubury's quiches...the full size ones. They're very high protein and relatively inexpensive. Another bargain is the meat/cheese filled pre-made pasta that you just boil yourself. You can fry it or microwave it till it's crispy and it makes a good all day snack. Cheese is another good relatively cheap source. Dunno if you're a cheesehead or not. Also, start paying attention to the protein content of other foods like bread and crackers and stuff.

If you can get to an aldi that's pretty much the only source of affordable dairy/meat. I lived just outside city centre, so that wasn't an option for me.

As for gyms...deadlift/oly wasn't allowed at the University of London gym. There were two benches that were hardly ever used. And there was no squat rack. About a month before I left I discovered a boxing gym in Camden that had a squat rack. I didn't run across any PLing gyms, and I walked the city and the backstreets as a hobby, so I'd be surprised if there was one convenient. Things are a bit better in that regards outside of London. At that point it wasn't worth the expense of the joining fee, etc. Plus I'd become so pathetically weak I'd be embarassed to lift in a hardcore gym. The individual london university gyms are worse. No free weights at all.

Which Uni are you at by the way? I went to UCL for grad school.

[Matt Brouse]

Nik, I had guess University of Northern Iowa. Hmm...

[Nikhil Rao]

Matt, I had guessed that you suck at life.

[James Fernandes]

James, it's going to be TOUGH for you since you're in the UK (i'm assuming since you said 'uni'). Food is a huge problem. Protein is expensive. I recommend Tesco and Sainsubury's quiches...the full size ones. They're very high protein and relatively inexpensive. Another bargain is the meat/cheese filled pre-made pasta that you just boil yourself. You can fry it or microwave it till it's crispy and it makes a good all day snack. Cheese is another good relatively cheap source. Dunno if you're a cheesehead or not. Also, start paying attention to the protein content of other foods like bread and crackers and stuff.

If you can get to an aldi that's pretty much the only source of affordable dairy/meat. I lived just outside city centre, so that wasn't an option for me.

As for gyms...deadlift/oly wasn't allowed at the University of London gym. There were two benches that were hardly ever used. And there was no squat rack. About a month before I left I discovered a boxing gym in Camden that had a squat rack. I didn't run across any PLing gyms, and I walked the city and the backstreets as a hobby, so I'd be surprised if there was one convenient. Things are a bit better in that regards outside of London. At that point it wasn't worth the expense of the joining fee, etc. Plus I'd become so pathetically weak I'd be embarassed to lift in a hardcore gym. The individual london university gyms are worse. No free weights at all.

Which Uni are you at by the way? I went to UCL for grad school.


Hi I am at Bath University, the good bath top 10 uni in the UK. Im studying Biology, man I was ill for last few days, and it was bad, im stil ill now, but Im gona go home to Slough (near Windsor where the old Queen lives)

ive lost so much weight im sure my strengths gone down in gym as i was strugglin on weights i considered light, i dont eat meat much, mainly 1 or 2 tuna cans a day, mashed potato, egg whites, protein powder thats it

i tink i need to up my meat n chicken intake, wah i gona go home, i seriously thinking about moving to a uni closer to home, i shouldnt have moved too far in the first place

[michael martin]

ffs you must be a nour tops away down the m4 whats up with ya?!? lol :confused:

[Keenan Hollingsworth]

thanks keenan and nickbrugal you ahve given me good adive there, thing is I have to cook all the food myself, I didnt order accomodation with food because in the UK, i dont think its all you can eat, so i thought theyd give baby food amounts so i thought id make my own food.


guys, at uni, did you go out loads and stay up late, or were you the early sleepers, munching loads, and staying dedicated?

James
I cook all my own food (except occassionally buying an already roast chicken form the grocery store lol).

I usually go to sleep around 11, but I have class at 8:30.

[Steve Krivoshik]

The individual london university gyms are worse. No free weights at all.


IS it even a gym then? I would call it a "fitness center"

geez I've got a whole new respect for you guys finding ways to lift overseas, it's different I guess.

[Daniel Atchison]

Can you? Easily.... In my case you I live on campus, not in a resident hall but an apartment with a alcoholic roomate. How do you? 1) Find someone with a similar goal. 2) Find the cheapest grocery store, buy whole wheat tortillas, buy whole wheat everything. 3) Buy Egg Whites galore or even eggs. 4) If your rec is a non-chalking rec, sneak it about. 5) If you can find a nearby real gym 6) Work at a bar, keeps you from drinking, keeps you from big booze-filled football games, and girls hit on you like crazy so you dont feel like your not mingling with your peers. 7) most important: DO WORK.
What University are u at?

[FredHarrington]

James, it's going to be TOUGH for you since you're in the UK (i'm assuming since you said 'uni'). Food is a huge problem. Protein is expensive.

As for gyms...deadlift/oly wasn't allowed at the University of London gym. There were two benches that were hardly ever used. And there was no squat rack.

my situation is the same, so i spent my student loan investing in a power rack, bench, weights etc, and spent my whole year with no money... and i situated my rack between my door and my bed in halls meaning i had to climb through the rack to get up haha!

if you want it enough you will find a way

[Steve Krivoshik]

my situation is the same, so i spent my student loan investing in a power rack, bench, weights etc, and spent my whole year with no money... and i situated my rack between my door and my bed in halls meaning i had to climb through the rack to get up haha!

if you want it enough you will find a way

That's Hardcore Way to go man :YR:

[James Fernandes]

Can you? Easily.... In my case you I live on campus, not in a resident hall but an apartment with a alcoholic roomate. How do you? 1) Find someone with a similar goal. 2) Find the cheapest grocery store, buy whole wheat tortillas, buy whole wheat everything. 3) Buy Egg Whites galore or even eggs. 4) If your rec is a non-chalking rec, sneak it about. 5) If you can find a nearby real gym 6) Work at a bar, keeps you from drinking, keeps you from big booze-filled football games, and girls hit on you like crazy so you dont feel like your not mingling with your peers. 7) most important: DO WORK.
What University are u at?

Im at Bath University in the UK, YO MAN, ive come home as ive been really ill with flu, so im missing week of lectures, and ive lost size, but on the scales im still the same even heavier, its wierd, my arms down half an inch, but im a powerlifter, but still some size matters!!

i noticed, its mainly caise of my illness and lack of training due to it that ive lost size i dont look as lean as b4 but as you guys said i have to work around it, im as dedicated as they come, while eveyrone is drinking, i dont touch a drop and sleep at 11 when people have 3 sums in their bedroom.

i dont need to, got a gf neway! but still, im only 19 years old, and lift pretty decent i would say, squat 190kg deadlift 210kg at 90kg bodyweight raw lifts but its now time ot up these lifts

wah lost back width 2!

[Dan Montague]

Yes, it's possible. We have a handful of respected totals that were built in a garage just off of campus.

You need three things to get strong (on campus, or in general); a rack, a training partner, a backbone.

You need to get around other people who are either strong, or are willing to work themselves into the ground getting strong. During college, though, people are going to flake out on you a lot. My advice, drop these people the second they skip out on anything.

You mentioned transportation being a problem, I hear you on that one. Find someone who has a car who wants to get strong with you. It's tough, but you should be able to find a person or two who share dedication to strength.

Be creative, and be patient.

[Nikhil Rao]

Hi I am at Bath University, the good bath top 10 uni in the UK. Im studying Biology, man I was ill for last few days, and it was bad, im stil ill now, but Im gona go home to Slough (near Windsor where the old Queen lives)

ive lost so much weight im sure my strengths gone down in gym as i was strugglin on weights i considered light, i dont eat meat much, mainly 1 or 2 tuna cans a day, mashed potato, egg whites, protein powder thats it

i tink i need to up my meat n chicken intake, wah i gona go home, i seriously thinking about moving to a uni closer to home, i shouldnt have moved too far in the first place

bath is such a badass city it's worth it.

[James Fernandes]

Yes, it's possible. We have a handful of respected totals that were built in a garage just off of campus.

You need three things to get strong (on campus, or in general); a rack, a training partner, a backbone.

You need to get around other people who are either strong, or are willing to work themselves into the ground getting strong. During college, though, people are going to flake out on you a lot. My advice, drop these people the second they skip out on anything.

You mentioned transportation being a problem, I hear you on that one. Find someone who has a car who wants to get strong with you. It's tough, but you should be able to find a person or two who share dedication to strength.

Be creative, and be patient.

Hey Dan I hear you too, the ting is, I have yet to meet someone willing to train with me properly. If they do train, they do bb training, or they mess around, or they go party day before and are too pissed to train with me the next day, I dont have time bro for these wasters.

I am use to training alone on the squat and deadlift as I squat in the squat rack, I only use spots on 1 rep maxes, I dont really need a training partner other than benching.

My mate at Bath uni, he wants to get into lifting, hes a tight friend of mine and I basically chill with him, hes fairly strong starting off benching 60kg, and he got mega long arms, hes a nigerian guy, so genetics should be decent too, and hes fast sprinter.

He said he will be dedicated, I know he wont be as me, but I train alone and to be honest I love it, I dont have to wait for anyone, cause they missed the train etc, and I ask anyone for a spot, but i tell them never to touch the bar etc, plus i always start light training and build up the weight, so I only need a spot on the 4th week when I go flat out for a 3 or 5 rep max.

[James Fernandes]

bath is such a badass city it's worth it.

lol its quiet, boring, and noway like Slough

Slough is badass

[kenneth nowicki]

James, its not too hard to keep gaining at uni. I go to Strathclyde in Glasgow and am in 2nd year and in halls again.

£1 for a kilo of pasta from tesco, think its the same for rice. 1.4kg of frozen chicken breasts from iceland for £5. Tesco has cheap steak too.

Just eat LOADS, lots of pasta, chicken, turkey is cheap too. If you've got a costco card go and get a tub of mixed nuts. I bought 1.3kg of nuts and rasins for £5 and its 500cals per 100g.

Never been to aldi, but i think it and also lidl is very cheap too.

[davebeers]

my greatest gains ever occurred the first 6 months i was on campus. My gf wasn't there to distract me, i had easy classes, the gym was within walking distance, and i had a good meal plan and a couple heavy black girls working at the cafeteria that loved to feed me!

Just become a machine. Start prepping yourself for lifting starting right when you wake up. Plan your training out and think about it all day, fuel your body with good food all day long. Forget about taste, eat because you know you have to. Ground beef, rice, tuna, pasta. That should be your base, if you can afford it try to add some olive oil and veges. Never eat out unless you have to. If you can't find someone motivated to train with then train alone. Don't let anyone suck the life out of your training or ruin your motivation.

[James Fernandes]

my greatest gains ever occurred the first 6 months i was on campus. My gf wasn't there to distract me, i had easy classes, the gym was within walking distance, and i had a good meal plan and a couple heavy black girls working at the cafeteria that loved to feed me!

Just become a machine. Start prepping yourself for lifting starting right when you wake up. Plan your training out and think about it all day, fuel your body with good food all day long. Forget about taste, eat because you know you have to. Ground beef, rice, tuna, pasta. That should be your base, if you can afford it try to add some olive oil and veges. Never eat out unless you have to. If you can't find someone motivated to train with then train alone. Don't let anyone suck the life out of your training or ruin your motivation.


thanks guys you have been very helpful, also thanks to the guy from scotland, your lifts are very good also,

yes, Ive decided, im not one to quit, Ive actuall got enough money but Im being stingy at the moment IVE got a few grand saved up so defo got enough, I need to work out how much I spend weekly, meals a day, what sort of meals, I need to cook my meals in advanced. sort out my training times especially with the lectures which changed times ever 15 weeks, (ive got my timetable for the first 15 weeks so far)

i have lost weight but then again in the 2 weeks at uni, ive been eating my mums food she gave me which i heat up, (chicke, beef, rice) but i need to make my own now.

I drink olive oil in water loads of times, and eat lots of lettuce, im gona order iceland food online and get it delivered once a week or twice a week,

ive got my trainng sorted out as I use to train once in a while with pro powerlifter who were super strong 1000lb squatter!

I have to dirnk more water, thing is I sometimes have 4 lectuers in a row so thats 4 hours without food!

No need for a training partner, unless my tight mate decides to get serious, which im hoping for but not sure he would.

I need to sleep a certain time everydya and wake up a certain time, which shouldnt be hard, i dont go clubbing or partying as it disrupts training and dont drink, and i find my flatmates wierd, posh, boring, so I dont hang with them drinking till 3am anway so shouldnt be hard to sleep

[James Fernandes]

anyone who can help me out, or just want to chat about the gym/uni life, i do really need the help from others who have done it

add me on msn

jamwithtupac@hotmail.com

[kenneth nowicki]

You'll need tro go to iceland and then itsw free delivery after spending £25, dont do online[didnt when i checked anyway]

What I do when Ive got a load of lectures is to make up chicken wraps and have those between classes. Either that or get some maltodextrin from myprotein and then have a protein shake with that in it and nuts too, fats will slow down digestion and add a good number of cals.

ive added you on msn if u want to chat.

Ken

[Steve Krivoshik]

I don't have MSN.....you guys want to setup a time to meet in the chat room on here?

[James Fernandes]

hi guys, thanks kennan, i can see youre online, we can chat

i dont mind setting up a chat online, or steve why dont you get msn, or register

www.hotmail.com

if you duno how to download msn,

type in meebo.com

and you can use it there online straight away

[james rude]

i went to college in 2003 a 6'9'' 260lb basketball player and graduated in 2007 a 6'8'' 330lb strongman competitor. enjoy that schedule!

[James Fernandes]

i went to college in 2003 a 6'9'' 260lb basketball player and graduated in 2007 a 6'8'' 330lb strongman competitor. enjoy that schedule!

hi james rude, i would love to enjoy that schedule, did you live on campus? away from your family?

so you prepared allfood yourself? add me on msn jamwithtupac@hotmail.com or email me how you did things

please

thanks

jam

[james rude]

check your pm's